So About The Kraut ...

.... as in sauerkraut. 

This past summer I made my first attempt at fermenting sauerkraut.  It took much patience growing the giant Danish Ballhead cabbage .. harvesting .. and prepping it.  Away it sat in the basement for weeks .. and had hubby in a bit of a tiff when he'd go in the laundry/work room .. with it's fermenting smell.  My advice was to not go in there AND to keep the door shut for awhile.  What to do with 25 lbs of beautiful kraut that only I'd savor?  I decided to can it.  I know .. there goes all the goodness killed with heat.  All has not been lost.  I have discovered that you can re-ferment canned sauerkraut ... one jar at a time :) 

I've gotten in the yogurt/cheese making business of late ... and one of the beautiful by-products of such is whey.  The clear buttery colored liquid that remains when you make cultured cheese from yogurt has so many good nutritional properties .. one of which ... aids in fermentation. 

Now when I get a hankering for sauerkraut, all I have to do is:

1. Grab a jar off the cellar shelf.
2. Empty it in a strainer, rinsing it a bit with cool water along with the jar.
3. Squeeze the water out and pack it back into the jar and cover with whey.
4. Let it sit tightly covered in a warm (70-75 F) spot for several days.

There is still plenty of salt remaining in the kraut that no extra is needed.  After it's re-fermented, store (tightly capped) in the fridge and use within a week.